The Dog Loving Therapist Blog- IN loving memory of Zeebo

Welcome to The Dog Loving Therapist: Therapy Dogs and Being Human — basically a place for me to talk about mental health, dogs, and all the very human stuff in between. I’m a psychotherapist who works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, burnout, trauma, overwhelm, and the general weight of trying to hold life together. I’m also a huge dog person. And honestly, some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about regulation, connection, slowing down, comfort, and just getting through hard seasons have come from living life with dogs. This isn’t going to be a super polished or clinical blog. I want it to feel more like real conversations and reflections about therapy, being human, and the ways dogs somehow make life a little better. Some posts might be backed by psychology and research, some might come from my own experiences as a dog owner, and some will probably just be observations from everyday life with humans and dogs alike.  May 29, 2026

Being Seen Matters

As a psychotherapist, I spend a lot of time talking with people about stress, anxiety, burnout, trauma, and all the things that come with carrying a lot for a long time.

As a dog owner, I spend a lot of time being followed to the bathroom. Stay with me now…

One of the things I've noticed about my dog—and honestly, dogs in general—is that they often just want to be near us. Not because they're looking for a deep conversation. Not because they have advice to offer. Not because they're trying to solve anything.

They just want to be with us.

If I'm working, he's nearby. If I'm making dinner, he's nearby. If I'm sitting on the couch, he tends to be right beside me or somewhere close enough to keep an eye on me.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if that's one of the most important lessons dogs have to teach us. It’s not about exercise or mindfulness. Not even about living in the moment. It’s simply about being witnessed.

Most of us spend a lot of our lives trying to hold things together, keep going, push through. We manage responsibilities, care for other people, meet deadlines, solve problems, and keep moving forward. We get very good at functioning and sometimes even over-functioning.

What we don't always get is the experience of simply being seen. Not evaluated. Not fixed. Not given advice. Just seen.

Dogs seem surprisingly good at this. They don't ask us to explain why we're stressed. They don't tell us we're overreacting. They don't offer a five-step plan for improving our mood. They sit beside us and rest their head on our leg. They stay. And you might even get a cuddle. And while that might seem simple, there's actually something quite profound about it. 

Humans are wired for connection. We do better when we feel seen. And less alone. Research tells us that supportive relationships help us manage stress and navigate difficult experiences. In therapy, a client may feel for the first time, truly seen and heard. We often talk about the importance of connection and co-regulation—the way another calm, caring presence can help our nervous system settle.

Dogs seem to understand this intuitively without ever having to learn the terminology.

I’m curious as to whether we sometimes make connection more complicated than it needs to be. Maybe being a good friend, partner, family member, or therapist isn't always about having the right words or the answers. Maybe it's about being willing to stay, to listen, to witness. And to let someone know they're not carrying everything alone.

My dog reminds me of this all the time. Usually while staring at me from three feet away for absolutely no reason. And maybe that's the lesson. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can offer another person isn't advice or solutions but our presence.

Our dogs seem to know that already. It seems us humans are the ones still learning it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, my furry friend is staring at me because apparently this blog is cutting into his walk time. June 6, 2026